Everything In Its Rightful Place
by InuChanFan
Summary: Just a happy fanfic giving Crixus and Naevia the happy ending they deserve. It picks up at the end of season one and focuses on the struggle Crixus faces finding Naevia and Naevia's adjustment to her new home.


**AN: Woah! My first story in two years. Just a story I wrote to give Crixus and Naevia the happy ending they deserve. I know this will all become moot when the new season comes out. Still, RxR, and let me know what you think!**

Naevia was gone and he was to blame. If only he had been able to control himself when he saw Asher near her, she would still be within his grasp. Things would be as they were.

Why couldn't he just stand there? He lived through harder things than simply standing in line. The arena was significantly more treacherous than any meeting in the villa with the Romans could be. Truthfully, he knew why. It was because he loved her, and he could not permit another man to touch her. She was his. There was something within him that made him erupt in flames when he saw that foul man lay his hands on her. There was something inside him that made him so angry he could have killed everyone in the room.

The ability to control himself when it came to her was something that he lacked. He always seemed to take things just a step too far. He purchased the necklace she could not be seen wearing. He thought winning battles in the arena made her happiest. He yelled at her for flirting with a guard when her only objective was to get the key. He jumped to conclusions, and unfortunately, they were usually the wrong conclusions.

After Naevia revealed she had been given to another that morning, he looked for any sign as to who it might have been. His eyes never left her form, watching all who appeared around her. He watched her perform her duties, ensuring her interactions with the guards remained professional. But when he saw the distress in her face after a single touch from Asher, there was barely any space to jump before he came to his conclusion. He could tell by the affectionate way he was touching her that he must have been the man. Asher would not normally approach a woman so casually in front of Dominus, especially not while he was entertaining guests.

After so much careful study, to see it come to life right before his eyes was an even worse fate than he could have predicted. It was unbearable. He had to make the problem go away. The only thing he could think to do was to get rid of the man who had taken his woman. He had to get rid of Asher.

Before he knew it, he lunged, compelled by the need to save her…to protect her…Instead he condemned her to a fate he had not yet realized. It was the last thing he wanted.

But Crixus now knew he should not have responded to such a sight. He should have remained in line with his brothers. He could grit his teeth and scowl from there. He did not need to make such a spectacle. But when he saw her face so contorted, there was little he could do to restrain himself.

Crixus despised Asher most of all the men in the lootus. He had always been a spineless man. He fought poorly and fell easily in the arena; furthermore, he won the name of gladiator absent the test. Crixus knew he would not have been able to secure a woman on his own, so he surely asked Dominus for her. But why Naevia? There were dozens of other girls in the house of Batiatus. What motivation did Asher have for picking her? He did not know.

If Naevia had given him Asher's name that morning, he knew he would have reacted in the same way. He would have hunted Asher down and taught him not to meddle with women who were already spoken for. Only it would have been private and he would ensure he would not have been caught.

* * *

The guards loaded Naevia onto the cart. She fought them as they pulled her away from Crixus, but she came to realize it was no use. The guards each outweighed her by a minimum of forty pounds. One of them could easily pick her up and carry her if needed, yet she would not allow it to come to that. Walking would help her to keep some of her dignity, and prevent another horrible image from Crixus' already broken heart.

She did not know where she was going, yet she knew she would never see Crixus again. Relationships between slaves never ended well in the house of Batiatus. One need only look to Barca and Pietro or Oenomaus and Melitta to see. Both of their predecessors enjoyed honest, open relationships, but they had all been separated by the whims of Dominus.

Naevia knew there was no hope for a lasting romance between slaves. What they experienced together was a miraculous romance, one that she was lead to believe was hardly fitting of her station. This was something that Naevia knew. She spent her entire life in the villa, seeing everyone come and go. After watching the death of Barca, herself, she should know better than anyone how quickly things can turn sour and end in bloodshed, even for those who had permission to be together. Naevia doubted she and Crixus would have been given the right to have an open relationship in that house. Domina would never give her approval. She would miss Crixus in her bed.

When Naevia thought of the events that passed a few hours before, she came to realize Crixus had always claimed to be bad with words, but now Naevia believed him to be bad with his actions as well. She wondered if giving Asher's name to Crixus would have prevented the outburst and their subsequent discovery. Had Crixus known, he would not have been so startled by Asher's proximity. He would have had time to prepare himself for seeing the man who had "claimed his woman" as she was sure he had thought of it as such. There was no way to be certain. He was a well trained gladiator; violence was nothing new to him. He spent all day and night training. Furthermore, he was accustomed to fighting for what he wanted.

Despite his thick head, she was grateful for his training. She wished they had more opportunities to meet, but having such a skilled fighter made her feel well protected. Also, she was grateful for the form which training gave him. He was well built. His arms were broad, and she always felt safe to be held within them.

His arms would have been a great comfort to her in the carriage. She was pulled through the streets until they reached the market. Naevia was confused as to why she was in the market when none of the stores were open. Two of the guards went into a building, and came out with a disheveled looking old man. The man came up to Naevia and began inspecting her. He looked her up and down with a critical gaze.

"I need to see her closer," the man said. One of the guards went and opened the door to the cart and stepped away, only to be replaced by the old man.

"Come down here, and stand up straight," the old man said. "Do not be afraid."

Naevia slowly stepped out of the cart onto the road. She chose to stare at her feet while he inspected her. He poked and prodded her legs and arms to gage her strength. He looked at her feet to ensure she had enough calluses from walking. He made her open her mouth to check her teeth. Finally, he looked at her hair for lice.

"We'll have to do something about this hair," he remarked. At the man's comment, she moved to touch it. She was not yet used to the fact that her hair was gone.

Naevia was ashamed of its present state. She loved her hair. It was a cruel fate she had to lose it.

The man then stepped back to look at her one final time. She felt uncomfortable under his gaze. She had lived her whole life surrounded by gladiators and the elites of roman society, but she had never once been evaluated in such a fashion.

"I'll pay five denari for her," he said.

"Ten," the guard responded.

"In the middle of the night, I will not be hustled by a man trying desperately to give away a slave. I will pay five denari and nothing more."

"Agreed," the guard said with a deflated voice. The guard then waved his hand, and he and the other guards turned the cart around and headed back in the direction of the villa.

Naevia was left in the middle of the street with the disheveled old man. She knew not what to do. Fortunately, she did not have to wait long for instruction.

"Come inside. You will sleep with the other girls, and we will converse in the morning."

Naevia did as instructed. She followed him through a shop lined with cloth, up some stairs and into the sleeping quarters of the other slaves. As he left, she quietly made room for herself on the floor among the other women.

Sleep was difficult to accomplish that night. Her head was filled with thoughts of Crixus, and her eyes were filled with tears at her loss. Her only comfort was that he was still alive in the lootus.

* * *

He needed to earn his freedom to return to her. That was his plan. He would get stronger, participate in more fights, earn more coin, and save enough to purchase his and Naevia's freedom. It was a solid plan, the only realistic one he could conjure.

He intended to stick to it. It was his motivation while in his cell, and it was the only thing he thought of while he practiced in the yard of the lootus. It fueled his strength.

But then Spartacus came and told him the story of his wife; images of the betrayals his Dominus committed began to sweep into his mind. Could Dominus have killed Spartacus's wife just to keep him focused in the arena? If he had, what else had he done? If he truly had gone to such lengths, Crixus imagined there was no telling what he would do to keep champions.

Then Spartacus asked him to do the impossible. He wanted Crixus to help kill all the Romans and escape the lootus. But that was not something Crixus could not do.

"_My escape would not aid Naevia," he told Spartacus. "How would I purchase her freedom… or even find her while being perused like a dog by the Romans?"_

"_Join me, and we will find her, together," Spartacus reassured him._

Crixus admired this courage. Many new gladiators were scarred young boys fighting to survive. But there was something in Spartacus that shone through. Crixus could tell he was, and always had been, and honorable man.

"_You know in another life, you and I may have been as brothers? But not in this one… I must win my freedom in the arena."_

"_Then we will stand in the way of each other's cause," Spartacus argued._

"_Then both adjust." _

No matter how much admiration he had for his fellow gladiator, this was not a plan in which Crixus could participate. He had his own goals to meet, and they began with beating Spartacus in their upcoming match. However, Crixus came to realize that he needed a secondary plan, should he lose.

"_But if I fall, I'd have you swear to find Naevia. See her freed."_

"_And I would have word that if you are victorious, one day you will have Batiatus's life," Spartacus countered._

They shook on it, a moment only the brothers could fully understand.

"_Tomorrow then, one of us dies," Spartacus said._

"_I fear it was always fated so."_

_

* * *

_

The next morning, Naevia awake in strange quarters. She was briefly startled before it all came flooding back: Asher, Crixus, Lucretia, the guards, the old man. She had been sold in the middle of the night to a strange old man in Capua.

She was afraid to move. All the other girls were still sleeping next to her. She arose early out of habit for tending to Domina, but it seemed this was not custom in this house. Naevia decided to occupy herself with thoughts of what she should do now. She knew nobody in this house, but figured making friends should not be a high priority. Doing so in the house of Batiatus caused nothing but pain.

Instead, she decided that it would be best to keep to herself, tending only to the work she was sure to be assigned. However, her plan already seemed to be failing her.

Only a few moments after Naevia began shifting around, another slave awoke nearby. The young girl was similar in age to Naevia, but she appeared to be much taller and with lighter features. She had golden hair and green eyes which made her look deceptively younger than her true age.

"Who are you?" she asked while still half asleep.

Naevia did not answer. Instead, she turned her head away from the girl.

"Did you hear me?" the girl asked with a yawn. "It is considered rude to ignore people, you know," she continued sounding slightly agitated now. At this, she paused for a moment, but spoke again when it became apparent Naevia would not.

"When did you get here? I must have been in a very deep sleep for I heard and saw no trace of your arrival. It does not seem like anyone else heard you come in either. It must have been very late ….It is very unusual for Dominus to purchase new slaves at night…Where did you come from?"

"My past does not concern you," Naevia responded with a sharp tone in her voice.

"Do not worry; everyone has a story here," she responded. "Most of them are not meant for pleasant conversation. My name is Elaina. Before Dominus purchased me, I…"

Elaina was immediately cut off by the sound of a bell. "It's time to get up," Elaina loudly said to the rest of the sleeping girls that surrounded them, turning her attention from Naevia. The other girls slowly began to move quickly once they were on their feet. The girls were leaving the room with their heads bowed in reverence as the old man from the night before appeared in the doorway, looking significantly less disheveled than the first time they met.

"Follow me," he said to Naevia with a small hand wave. "Elaina, you come too."

* * *

Crixus and Spartacus spent the rest of the day and the beginning of the next day training for their match. They needed to be prepared before facing each other again; especially if this was to be the last time one of the champions would hold a blade.

When it was time for meals, Crixus departed for his cell. Though he was allowed to train during the day, Crixus was still receiving punishment for hiding his romance. He was only permitted out of his cell to train, making it more a prison than the name normally implied. Apart from being separated for all meals, his conversations with his brothers were closely monitored by the guards.

When he returned to his cell at the end of mid-day's training, he began to prepare himself for the fight with Spartacus that was just a few hours away. He needed to create a strategy to overcome the new champion. He had not seen Spartacus fight full out in weeks, so he had yet to discover any weaknesses he could exploit during their match.

The guards brought him his meal as he continued planning. When they left, a new form entered, Lucretia. He was not prepared for her to enter; he was always under the impression that the two of them being alone together was improper for the Domina of the house of Batiatus. Furthermore, he was even less prepared for her words.

"_You betrayed me," she said as she entered his cell. "Yet I've come to see that the fault is not your own. You cannot be blamed for being week. All men are when faced with wet opportunity. I would put it all behind us. All I ask in return is the truth. Tell me Naevia held no meaning for you"_

"_You ask me to speak in false tongue."_

"_What would it conjure for our child?" she asked._

"_Child?" _he asked in bewilderment. He knew his Domina to be barren. How could there possibly be a child?

"_Seed has finally taken hold," she explained. "The gods bless us."_

"Us, she says," he thought to himself.

"_You would divine me as father? Not Dominus?"_

"_I feel the blood of a champion swelling inside me. I feel you, Crixus."_

"_I have often dreamt, in quiet moments, of having a child, with Naevia."_

Lucretia became enraged at such a comment. That was the furthest thing from her heart. How could he love an inexperienced, uneducated, penniless slave more than his Domina? What could a slave provide that she could not?

Despite her rage, she retained a calm face and chose her next move carefully. The only thing she could think to do was to hurt him in response. He had already lost one woman, and now she would make it so he lost all hope of being with his Domina again as well.

"_There is nothing left between us," _she said as she backed towards the door._ "Crixus, I did not intend for it to end this way." _With that, she turned and left his cell.

A sigh of relief washed over him after she left. Since Naevia, he hated seducing Domina. He was the champion of Capua, the slayer of hundreds, yet he was forced to bow to her even when he despised her. What made it worse was he knew it upset Naevia. He was betraying her heart, which was so close to his own. He was glad it was the end, but there was still one last thing he needed from Lucretia before it was truly over.

* * *

The two young slaves and the old man walked into what appeared to be an office, though it looked more like a closet for it was filled with rolls of fabric. The man walked around to the other side of the table in the middle of the room, and addressed Naevia.

"Do you know why you are here?" he asked Naevia.

She nodded in silence, hoping he would not speak of what transpired, but he felt the need to remind her again.

"You are here because you deceived your Dominus and carried on an adulterous relationship with a fellow slave. Fortunately, I am the only man here, and I am far too old to be attractive to such youths. I'm also far too old to attend to such things, so you will spend your days working, keeping yourself as far detached from men as possible until given further instruction. We make fabric here. Do you have any skill in such things?"

Naevia shook her head.

"Very well," the man went on. "For the time being, you will be responsible for cleaning the shop and doing errands to help others. Report to Elaina; she will guide you well. This is my office, though I spend most of the day in the store. Presently, you may not enter the shop unless directly requested to do so. You may address me as Dominus. That is all."

With that Naevia turned and followed Elaina away from the office.

"So that's your story," Elaina said as they departed. "No wonder you were so keen to keep it hiden."

"I do not wish to be known as…a whore," Naevia responded quietly. Crixus was the only man she had ever truly loved, and one night with Asher would not change the fact that, in her heart, he was also the only one with whom she had shared herself.

"Understood," Elaina responded. "I did not like it much either, but working in a brothel tends to make such a thing inevitable. It is much nicer here. As I said before, all the girls here have a past. Yours is hardly the worst."

The two continued towards the part of the villa where the girls made cloth. As they entered the room, Elaina turned to address Naevia again.

"Small pieces of cloth and string fall to the ground at regular intervals, and they must be collected so they are not carried throughout the villa. Dominus does not approve of finding them in his private quarters. You will begin by cleaning the floors. That will be your primary task. Should someone run out of materials, fetch them immediately. The closet on the south wall holds all the materials needed. Do you have any questions?"

Naevia again shook her head in silence. Working for the weaver appeared to be significantly simpler than tending to the various needs of Domina.

"Good. Now, what shall we call you?"

"Naevia."

"Pretty," she said with a smile. Then she turned and roared, "Ladies! This is Naevia. She will attend to your needs while taking responsibility for the floor. Treat her kindly."

The girls then went back to work as Naevia began her new duties.

* * *

The time came for Crixus and Spartacus to meet in the lootus. After a few words from Dominus and Ilithyia, the fight began.

It began well. Crixus flew through the air, thrusting his blade at Spartacus. Spartacus blocked with his two swords, defending himself until he found an opening to thrust towards Crixus, who blocked with his shield. It continued like this for several minutes before they began lunging through the air and falling to the sand.

The more they fought, the more it became apparent that something was amiss. Spartacus was clearly distracted with his plans of escape, trying desperately to communicate with Mira. But that was not the issue.

Crixus was unsteady, something that only wine had brought out in him before. He had not indulged, so there must be a better conclusion. Perhaps the lashings had made him burn with fever, but there should have been symptoms prior to the fight. Perhaps he was distracted by thoughts of Naevia, and how he must win to continue fighting towards his goal. Yet he had remained focused in training despite this condition. This unsteadiness must be the result of a recent event.

Spartacus realized his unsteadiness immediately. He deduced that Crixus received a poisoned drink during his meal, and that only Dominus would have done such a thing. Spartacus immediately pointed out Crixus' present situation, but it took a moment for Crixus to absorb the fact that Dominus had intentionally ruined his chance of regaining his honor. If he did not win this fight, Crixus would not fight in any other match in the arena, so there was no chance he would be able to purchase his freedom, or Naevia's.

When Crixus came to this conclusion, he decided to stand against this treachery. Not only had Dominus separated him from the love of his life, he was now ensuring they would never see each other again. No man should be permitted to commit so many crimes against another and still remain in one piece, even if one is a master and the other is a slave. It was the final act of cruelty Crixus would ever permit his Dominus to make. All there was left to do was show his agreement to Spartacus.

After being knocked down and separated from his shield, he went towards it and raised it up. However, instead of using it for its purpose, he motioned for Spartacus to use it as a vault just as he had done in the fight against Theocolese. The message was well received.

Once the first roman was dead, the fighting broke out like wide fire.

Crixus fought his way through the guards and the guests to make it towards his final goal, Lucretia.

"_You were right," _hesaid when he finally found her_. "There is still something between you and I. Where is Naevia?" _When he received no response he screamed,_"WHERE?"_

"_See me and Dominus out of the villa and I will tell."_

"_I do not believe you."_

"_Please…Crixus….our child..." _she sputtered as she backed away from him. Soon, she backed into a pillar, unable to go any further.

"_I would rather see it dead than suck your breast," _he said as he pressed his sword into her stomach, dealing a fatal blow that was sure to be as agonizing as her recent actions had been.

When he was sure Lucretia would not chase him, he left and went straight to her bed chamber. There was something he needed to collect that never truly belonged to her, the necklace he purchased for Naevia. When he found her, he would be sure it made it to its rightful place around her neck.

He found the piece in a case and hid it on his hip. Immediately afterwards, Crixus went off to find Spartacus. He would ensure his brother kept his word about finding Naevia.

The sounds of fighting quieted, but they continued to come from one part of the house. He followed his ears to the atrium, where he found his brother seeking revenge on Batiatus. When the deed was seen to completion, all the gladiators realized what they had done, and that they now needed a new course of action. Spartacus stepped forward with words on the subject.

"_I have done this thing because it is just," Spartacus said. "Blood demands blood. We have lived and lost at the whims of our masters for too long. I would not have it so. I would not see the passing of a brother for the purpose of sport. I would not see another heart wrapped from chest or breath forfeit for not cost. I know not all of you wish this, but it is done. It is done. Your lives are your own. For your own path, or join with us, and together we will see Rome tremble!"_

After his speech, Crixus approached Spartacus.

"I have come to see your proposition realized. Aid me in finding Naevia," Crixus stated boldly.

"As promised. We will need clothes to disguise ourselves and hide our weapons. We should find something available here."

"Agreed. We should also see if any of the guards still cling to life to gain information."

"I will fetch clothes while you investigate."

* * *

Naevia's work was truly simple, but the pace in which she was required to perform her duties was brisk. The first day she made many mistakes. Balancing the collection of the scraps with the distribution of materials was something she needed to improve. She found that she either neglected the woman requesting supplies or she neglected the floor. On the second day, she found an appropriate balance, only cleaning when there were no materials to be fetched, but doing so quickly and thoroughly.

Being in the new villa was unusual for Naevia. She spent her entire life in the house of Batiatus. Becoming accustomed to the new layout was something that she also needed to work on. In place of the lootus, this villa had a store in the lower level where customers purchased fabric. Directly behind that were Dominus' office, the baths and the store rooms. On top of the store was the shop where Naevia and her fellow slaves spent more of the day working. In the back of the upper level of the villa was the sleeping quarters. There were four equally sized rooms. Dominus laid in one, and the girls in the other. The other two were kept open for guests.

Naevia had never lived in a place with a store in the front. She was curious about it, yet she never ventured into the store. She knew she would be reprimanded for speaking with customers. She was a slave, a new slave in this house, on top of that. Perhaps one day she would tend to the store, but for now, she was to help clean the shop.

For the present time, she was pleased with her position. The tasks were simple, and the girls were pleasant. What was best about her new position was that it gave her plenty of distraction so she would not think about Crixus during the day. During the night she was not afforded such a luxury.

After the girls retired for the evening, Naevia remained awake thinking about everything that happened. The more she thought of him, the more she wished he was there. She thought of how he first approached her on the way to lie with Domina, how he bought her that necklace and how she would have loved to keep it, how he was so rough yet so kind. It was something that she missed.

It was the good moments that kept her going. She thought about going to bed with him, and how it had felt much better than she anticipated. She was concerned that it would hurt, or that he would be unkind, as Diona experienced. But neither was true. She considered herself truly blessed to have found such a man among gladiators, individuals who were not known for their generosity.

Unfortunately, she could not forget the bad moments. She thought about the fight that taking the key from the guard ensued. She thought about how she had been given to Asher and how she despised Dominus for it. She thought about Crixus' reactions to the news, and the upheaval it had caused, including Crixus' lashings and Lucretia's removal of her position…and her hair.

Of all the things that happened, having her hair removed was the one thing for which she could not divine a reason. Naevia understood that having beautiful hair was a statement of power among women. Yet Naevia had no power, so there was nothing to take. Perhaps Domina was cruelly trying to erase all hints of beauty that attracted Crixus to her. Naevia did not know.

However, she did know that she did not enjoy having such uneven hair. It embarrassed her. She wanted to fix it, but she would not be able to do so by herself. She did not know the full state of her new cut for she could not see it from all sides. It needed to be assessed and then attended to by someone with skilled hands. And given the fact that her hair was so short in some spots, she imagined she would have to remove all her hair to see it return evenly.

The next night, she approached Elaina.

"Would you help me with something?" Naevia asked cryptically.

"So long as it will not end my life, I will try," she replied with a smile.

"Can you do something about this?" Naevia asked, indicating her hair.

Elaina inspected it and decided it was cut very poorly. There were long pieces in the front yet her scalp was exposed in the rear.

"The only thing to be done is to remove your hair entirely."

"I fear it was fated to come to this."

"Let me get a blade and I will meet you in the baths. We will take care of this."

"Yes, Elaina," Naevia replied.

Naevia was pleasantly surprised at the gentleness of Elaina's hand. Elaina was very skilled with the blade. When Lucretia cut Naevia's hair, there was blood, but not this time.

When Elaina finished, she handed Naevia a small mirror in which to look at herself. Naevia found it odd to see herself without hair for the first time. However, having her hair removed gave her a new bit of confidence. It felt as though she had been given a new opportunity. Furthermore, she greatly enjoyed the thought that her hair will not return evenly. Waiting was all that remained.

* * *

Crixus walked through the lootus looking for any soldiers that may yet be alive. He inspected all of them, but there did not appear to be a single soul still on this earth. He began to lose hope when he heard wheezing coming from one corner of the yard.

He ran to the man and recognized this guard as the one who removed Naevia from him while he was tied to the posts for lashing. Crixus knew this man would have information, yet he was unsure if he would be able to speak the information he sought before his passing.

"The slave you took from the villa, where is she?" Crixus asked the man with a great sense of urgency.

"I do not know…" the guard wheezed with great difficulty.

"Tell me where and I might ease your suffering" Crixus said. When he received no response, he lost his temper and yelled, "WHERE is she?"

"She was taken into town and sold. I did not partake in that passage, so I do not know who purchased her."

"Thank you," Crixus said with a hint of disappointment. Seeing that the guard was still slowly fading, he took his sword and thrust it into the man's heart, ending his suffering instantly.

Crixus took a minute to absorb this new information. He knew Naevia would be sold, but there are many types of masters in the market. She could have been sold to someone who did not live in Capua, such as a traveling merchant. She could have been sold to work in the mines. Or worse, she could have been sold to a brothel. None of those locations were suitable for Naevia. The thought gave Crixus more motivation to find her quickly. He immediately set off to find Spartacus to begin their journey.

He found him in the villa. Spartacus had found clothes for them to wear and now he was looking for food they could take on their journey.

When Spartacus noticed Crixus' presence, he handed the man a set of simple robes.

"These should work," he said. "Enough cloth to hide your scars, for they would surely identify you, but nothing to indicate we have a high status."

Crixus took the clothes and told Spartacus of the new information.

"Naevia has been sold in Capua."

"Then we will start there. Do you know the way?"

"Yes. We leave the villa and head south. It does not take long in the carriage, but on foot it should take about half a day."

"Then we should leave immediately," Spartacus said. He finished collecting food and threw his provisions into a sack. Then the gladiators left the villa for the final time, and headed towards Capua.

* * *

Within days, Naevia began flying through her work, her new haircut giving her an extra spring in her step. She ensured the girls possessed well stocked stations and the work room was spotless. Naevia became quite proud of her new found ability to adapt. She had never known such a quality existed within her.

Her Dominus was also pleased. On one occasion when he entered the work room to speak with Elaina, Naevia believed she saw a small smile upon his face when he gazed at her. It was surprising to see something so kind from him. Naevia was under the impression that he was cruel, given her limited experience with him was filled with chastising comments about coin and expectations.

Over time, she came to realize that her new Dominus was actually very kind. He never elevated his voice for any remark, and always spoke civilly, even in the most frustrating situations. He often complimented the girls on their work, which Naevia never experienced before. He even remarked how he thought she looked much better shaven when he first saw the transformation.

According to the other girls, being so kind was truly just part of his nature. He sought out situations he could improve regularly. He did this so often he gained a reputation in town for rescuing girls from poor backgrounds and giving them new lives weaving cloth within his villa. All he asked in return was obedience and efficiency in the work room. This new information helped her feel more comfortable in the villa.

Naevia soon began to understand the truth of his kindness. After only a short week together, she received new instructions. She was now to go to the market with Elaina to purchase bags wool to make the spools of thread that eventually created fabric. She was surprised to receive such a mission so soon after her arrival. Naevia supposed he must trust her a great deal; either that or he greatly trusted Elaina to see the purchase through.

Naevia was to carry the bags. She was not permitted to carry any coin or speak to anyone. If she was spoken to, she was to ignore them, as were her instructions.

These were instructions she was very happy to follow. Naevia did not care for speaking to strangers. She knew very few people and she was already overwhelmed with her new living situation and getting acquainted with all the new girls. Naevia was simply pleased to be given such a privilege.

Whatever the truth may be, Naevia was excited to walk around. She had not been restricted to three rooms within a single villa for many years. While attending Lucretia, Naevia roamed nearly the entire villa freely, and travelled the surrounding area regularly with her Domina. The sleeping quarters, the baths and the work room at her new home were hardly enough to keep her entertained, even though she knew she should have just been thankful to have a place to stay. Still, she longed for fresh air.

She was pleased to have her new assignment. Naevia found herself carrying four or five sacks in one walk to the market while Elaina only carried one or two, depending on the days purchase. Many would have gawked, but the bags were light. The only difficulty she faced carrying the bags was their girth. They were quite large, making carrying them without running into surrounding people or shops somewhat challenging.

Naevia was cautious about where she walked when she held the new merchandise. She did not want to ruin the wool before they reached the villa. She wished to remain in her Dominus' good favor.

* * *

Capua was much larger than either of the gladiators knew. They had each been there many times before, but mostly to fight in the arena. Crixus used to lay bricks near where they were building the arena, but he never ventured far from that site. They had never before walked through town freely. The streets were small and winding, making it very easy to lose your way, so they studied landmarks to get their bearings.

They began their search by widening their gaze. They peered into every window of every villa and shop, and questioned anyone who could have recently purchased a slave. They asked if they had seen a slave of Naevia's age with medium colored skin and short hair or a completely shaven head. But that yielded no results. Three days had passed since their arrival, and they had yet to receive a single clue.

A week without Naevia was much harder than Crixus anticipated. He felt as though he were going mad. He needed to find her.

A few days later, they finally received a tip. They were in the market, speaking with some of the shop keepers. They came across a shepherd who was sheering his flock on an available table. Again they asked if they had seen a slave of Naevia's age with medium colored skin and short hair or a completely shaven head.

"Hmm…that sounds familiar," the shepherd said. "I think I saw someone like that just yesterday… where was it? ...Oh yes, the market. She was one of Adriel's girls."

"Who is Adriel?" Spartacus questioned.

"He's the local weaver. He makes all the fabric around here. He's got tons of girls working for him, and they all live with him in his villa. I remember this one because she was without hair. It truly is a shame to see a woman without her hair, but she had a beautiful face. All of Adriel's girls are beauties for they all used to work in the brothel or some other kind of unseemly place. He rescues them, you know? He buys them and put them under his protection making cloth. There are truthfully few men like him in this city."

"Where might we find this Adriel?" Crixus asked.

"His villa's about three streets to the west. There will be many shades of cloth displayed in the windows. That's how you'll know you've found him."

"Thank you," Spartacus said as they departed.

Crixus began nearly running after hearing this information. He prayed to the gods this information was true.

* * *

Naevia's trips to the market with Elaina became regular. The pair walked to the shepherd every other day to collect more wool. When Elaina walked with Naevia, she would tell her of the stories of the people in town. Naevia learned that the butcher recently lost his youngest daughter from a high fever, that the tanner was sleeping with the potter's daughter, and that the chef at the local mead hall had recently married. Elaina seemed to know a little bit about everyone in the market. She claimed it was due to her gift of gab, given to her straight from the gods themselves.

On one particular trip to the market, Naevia witnessed this gift first hand. One second the pair was talking down the street heading back to the villa with their new purchase, and the next second Elaina stopped short to speak to a girl in the window of a local shop.

"Are you certain?" Elaina asked.

"Yes. The farmer who delivers the grain said everyone in the house had been slain. There was blood everywhere, no survivors either. The smell is rumored to be horrible"

"Do you know who committed the act?"

"I heard it was the gladiators. Only a few of their bodies had been found, and it is believed that the rest of them escaped."

"Oh, my. Have you ever heard of such a thing happening before?"

"No, never. It makes one wonder what must have happened to cause such an uprising."

"I have no idea. If you hear anything else, inform me immediately," Elaina said as she turned back to Naevia.

"You are from the house of Batiatus, correct?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

"I just received word that the gladiators rose against their master, Batiatus. They killed everyone in the villa, and no trace of them has been found since."

Naevia stopped in her tracks when she heard the news. Her mind began circling with questions. The gladiators killed everyone in the house of Batiatus? Why? Who came up with this idea? Where are the gladiators now? Did Crixus survive the fight? She hoped he had. But if he survived, where was he? Was he coming to find her as he had promised? Had he yet reached town? Did he know where she was? How would he secure her freedom?

This was too much information for her to handle. Naevia nearly fainted on the road. The shock on her face led Elaina to understand that they needed to go back to the villa as fast as possible so Naevia could rest. The two immediately set off back towards the villa.

When they arrived, Naevia appeared much calmer than before, but she Elaina remained concerned about her friend's condition.

When Elaina questioned Naevia on her health, she simply replied she was fine, and immediately set off to work.

Elaina did not believe her, but figured it would be best not to question her while she was in such a fragile state. Elaina returned to work, but kept an ever-watchful eye on her friend.

* * *

Finding the villa was quite simple. There were indeed many shades of cloth hanging in the store front. Now, he needed to find Naevia. Crixus entered the shop leaving Spartacus in the streets, but found no trace of her. All he saw was an old man tending to customers. Crixus saw no others working in the shop, so he assumed the man worked there by himself. Had the tip been wrong?

Finding no further reason to stay, Crixus left the shop and rejoined Spartacus in the road.

"Did you find her?" he asked.

"There was no trace," Crixus responded with a deflated voice.

"Perhaps she is up there," Spartacus mentioned while indicating the top floor. "There seems to be quite a bit of movement on the second level."

Spartacus was right. There was a great deal of movement in the upper level. Crixus could see several girls from the window working on fabric. He also saw a bald girl move between them, but she was facing away so he did not get a clear look at her. Still, there was something about her that caught his eye.

"We should investigate it more thoroughly later in the day," Spartacus said as he made a move to leave, but Crixus told him to remain for a moment longer.

It was fortunate that he did, for when the bald girl walked past the window again, it was clear that sge was Naevia. Seeing her without hair made him falter at first, but he recognized her face and her form from the street. He passed many spare moments over the months looking up at her, and from this angle, he was without any doubt of her identity. At last, Crixus had found her.

His heart began to race. He had nearly accomplished his mission. All that remained was to free her. Being without her was far worse than he ever predicted. She always created a sense of calm within him. His present lack of serenity was making him short tempered and irrational, more so than usual. He knew he had been short with many villagers over the past week.

Now, having finally found her, he was in such a state that he even considered climbing walls to touch her. He wished he could yet to touch her again, to kiss her, or to feel her. If he could get but a little closer, he feared he might die of happiness. But he needed a plan. Having come so far, the gods would be damned if he did not leave Capua without her.

Spartacus had greatly aided him thus far when it came to making plans, actions that were truly befitting of a brother. Crixus brought up the question of how he was to procure her, and they began eliminating possible scenarios.

They devised that capturing her in the middle of the night will make it appear as though she fled, giving her new master an opportunity to chase. They also devised that killing off another family would mark them of poor judgment and put them under further threat of being found by the authorities. Furthermore, the two of them could not muster the force of forty angry gladiators that the lootus held. They would be out manned, and dying was the last thing Crixus wanted after fighting to hard to gain a life of his own with Naevia. Finally, they also devised that one of them could offer their services as a guard to purchase her freedom, but neither brother would see a man left behind.

After much deliberation, they came to realize that the only way to secure Naevia's return to Crixus was to barter her freedom with coin. From the information he could gather about Adriel, he was a good man, but always in search of new ways to make a profit. Crixus was sure that he could gain Naevia's freedom with the right amount of leverage.

There was a very large hole in this plan. Neither he nor Spartacus had enough coins with which to barter and still live off of after. While leaving the villa, they had equally divided the coin between all the remaining brothers, leaving only a small amount for each. They expected to find more coin, but the house of Batiatus was either in poorer shape than believed, or their former Dominus was very good at hiding his spoils.

Crixus knew that he needed to come up with some way to double, possibly triple, his money if he was to succeed. Though he had lived many years at the bottom of the food chain, he had never been one for stealing. He preferred to earn his keep honestly, fighting only when it was necessary to maintain or improve it. He wanted to maintain his honor.

For aid in his mission, he turned to his newfound brother yet again.

"When was the last time you played for coin?" Crixus asked.

"It has been a few weeks. I played dice in the lootus to win coin for Varro."

"If you would indulge, I believe I have a plan for us to quickly double our coin."

"Gambling? I have never seen you play."

"I have never had much skill with dice, but I understand you do quite well. It would be better if you used my coin in the game, so as not to jeopardize your future any further."

"And what would happen if I lose?"

"Do not lose," he replied with a serious gaze.

* * *

The rest of the day passed with regular pace for the women. They saw their work completed, ate and went to bed as usual.

Elaina kept an ever watchful eye on Naevia. She did not expect her friend to react in that manner from the news. She thought Naevia would simply digest it and move on like she did with all the rest of the news Elaina gave to her. But Elaina should have known that the destruction of her previous home would have some effect on her.

When the women retired for the evening, Elaina approached Naevia to apologize for earlier that day.

"Naevia," she said. "Please forgive my actions this morning. I should have realized the sensitivity of the subject."

"Think nothing of it. I was just startled. Truthfully, I had a feeling …Never mind. Forget I mentioned it."

But this was not possible. "No. Continue what you were saying," Elaine urged her.

After a moment, Naevia continued cautiously.

"I was just going to say, I had a feeling something was bound to happen. Unrest was common in the house of Batiatus, and there were many secrets that could have easily led to such an outbreak if they had been revealed."

Naevia hoped that would be enough to appease her friend, but it only sparked more interest within her.

"Does this have anything to do with the affair you had?" she asked, continuing to tread on sensitive ground.

"The way you speak of my past makes it sound so polluted. There was no affair. The man had no wife. But in answer to your question, I do not think the exposure of our relationship caused the uprising. It is far more likely the slaves discovered some of the many secrets Dominus kept from them."

"It is normal for a master to keep secrets for his slaves. Slaves are not privy to such information, nor should they be allowed such knowledge if they are not in a high enough rank to aid in their resolution," Elaina argued back

At this, Naevia lost control and began to speak freely for the first time in her life.

"Batiatus lived a life of lies, filled with far more than any Dominus I have ever heard of. Any one of his secrets could have turned a slave against him. I have personally seen the happiness over a dozen ruined from this behavior! I include myself in this!" Naevia began realizing that her tongue was running away from her. She should be saying such things. "Forgive me; I should not speak poorly of the dead."

"There is no shame in the truth," Elaina replied in an attempt to pacify Naevia. "Put it behind you and rejoice in the knowledge that this will not happen here. There has never been anything so treacherous in Adriel's house."

Naevia wished it was that simple, but after the new she received in the market today, she knew things were not yet over. If the gladiators had truly escaped, it was only a matter of time before something else happened.

* * *

Fortunately, Spartacus did not lose. In fact, it was quite the opposite. He played dice very well, better than any of his competitors. Many onlookers believed he was cheating, yet it was truly an unfair match. Spartacus spent his youth learning these games. He knew them inside and out. Winning was second nature.

Crixus was amazed at how well his brother controlled the outcome of the game. If he were not in a hurry to be reunited with Naevia, he would have asked about Spartacus's technique. Perhaps when this whole mess was over, they would find time to discuss the game.

In only a few hours, Spartacus had won ten times more coin than he began with. They each had enough money to last them each many months without considering working, even with bartering for Naevia's freedom.

Crixus was thoroughly pleased. His plan was coming together perfectly. He was a free man, he knew Naevia's location, and he now had enough coin to purchase her freedom.

The only thing that remained was to find a reason that would convince her new master to sell Naevia. Crixus was most anxious about this part. Crixus had never had much talent for words. It is only through practice with his relationship with Naevia that he had improved. However, he has never before bargained with someone, and he has had no opportunity to practice.

He asked Spartacus for one last favor.

"You seem to have a way with words, brother," Crixus said.

"It is not something that was a gift, brother. It required practice."

"I do not have time to practice. I wish to free Naevia at first light, but I fear I will not be tactful enough to secure her."

"So you would have me barter for her?"

"It is the only way to ensure success."

"Very well," Spartacus replied with a hint of frustration. "But this will be the last thing I do for you. I need to continue on my own path."

"Understood."

"We go at first light," Spartacus said. "Until then, try to rest."

* * *

That night, Naevia went to bed with an apprehensive feeling, something that rarely occurred. This was a sign that something profound with happen with her life soon. She imagined it would have something to do with the gladiators who recently escaped.

She began to wonder what she would do if Crixus appeared before her. She knew she would embrace him, for that was the one thing she longed for most. But she did not know much further beyond that. She was sure he would ask her to leave with him, but she was unsure if she would go.

She finally found a home where she felt safe, something that never truly existed in the house of Batiatus despite the presence of gladiators. She was beginning to know more about the girls, and she was truly finding that she loved all of them, especially Elaina.

Elaina was a godsend. When they first met, Naevia was not sure she would be able to keep a friendship with someone so loud mouthed, but she came to realize that it truly was the gift Elaina described. Because of her constant conversations, there was no subject that was untouched by Elaina. If something was the matter, Elaina had surely faced that situation before and she knew perfectly how to overcome it. It was almost as if her past entitled her with the perfect training.

If Naevia ran away with Crixus, she would leave all this behind. She was not sure if that was something she could do. She was accustomed to living in villas, attending to simple needs. If she left with Crixus, there was no telling what type of life they would lead.

Surely they would be hunted by the guards for many months. Living on the road, though it sometimes sounds romantic, can often be very uncomfortable. And when they finally settled down, what occupation would Crixus choose? Surely he could never be a gladiator again. But what other skills did he possess? Naevia did not know for they never spoke of his past.

She would love to forge her own path with Crixus, but she was unsure it would be wise to leave given their present circumstances. These thoughts troubled her and kept her from sleep.

* * *

At first light, their plans changed dramatically. The gladiators were awakened suddenly by four roman guards and a very inebriated man they recognized from the dice game the night before.

"That's him!" said the man from the game while pointing at Spartacus. "That's the one. He's the one who took my coin so dishonestly."

"There was nothing dishonest about the game of dice we played!" Spartacus argued as the guards attempted to subdue him.

In an instant, Spartacus began fighting back with more than just words. The guards were not equal matches for the champion of Capua. He punched and elbowed his way through the two guards that attacked him while Crixus jumped from his bed and began attacking the others.

These guards, though they wore uniforms of decent rank, had little to no hand-to-hand combat skills. The gladiators bested them easily.

When the fight was seen to completion, it only took a small step towards their accuser for him to scurry away with his tail between his legs.

After these events, the brothers knew they needed to move fast so as not to be seen with unconscious guards. They were apparently wanted for cheating; in a few hours they were going to be hunted for attacking roman guards. In a matter of days, they were sure to be hunted for the death of Batiatus as well.

They hastily turned to packing their few belongings.

"Crixus, we must separate if we are to out run these guards. They will be looking for me, but not for you. You must find Naevia and see your goal to completion on your own."

"What words should I use to secure her freedom?"

"If Adriel truly is the man we have heard about, bartering should not be a difficult task," he said grabbing the last of his things and turning towards the door. "May the gods bless you," were his final words as he ran out the door.

"And you, my brother. Thank you for your help."

Crixus departed shortly afterwards and travelled directly towards the shop. He arrived just as the old man he saw the day before was opening his doors for the day.

"Are you the one known as Adriel?" Crixus asked.

"Yes. What may I help you with today, son? We just finished this new wool fabric here; it is of very good quality."

"I do not wish to speak with you about cloth, but about one of your slaves."

"Follow me into my office, then."

When they reached his office, Adriel asked, "What business would you like to discuss concerning my slaves?"

"I would like to buy one."

"None are for sale. I need them all to do meet my current production standards. If you would like to purchase a slave, perhaps you should go to Anthony. He keeps a shop close to the arena, and he is sure to have a large enough selection for you to find just the right girl for your purposes. If given the correct persuasion, he will surely give you the best price in town."

"I am not searching for any girl. I am searching for one that was recently taken from me. I would have her returned to me."

"I only purchased one girl recently. And I know you were not her previous master for I knew the man well."

At this, Crixus became nervous, but then Adriel continued by saying "I never much liked him. There was something about the way he spoke that always made you feel as though he was scheming something. I was very shocked to learn of his passing, and I am sure you are shocked to hear that I know of it."

Crixus was surprised, indeed. But now he was more concerned that Adriel would inform the authorities of his location. Crixus tensed and placed his hand on the sword beneath his robes, preparing to lunge if needed.

"I assume you were the gladiator with whom Naevia had her affair."

"There was nothing adulterous about our relationship; we were only punished for hiding it. If you only knew the situation…."

Crixus stopped himself. This was not something he wished to discuss, especially not with a stranger. It would make him appear far more desperate than he was comfortable with.

But Adreil was intrigued.

"Tell me," he urged.

"It is not a conversation for modest ears."

"Believe me, son. I have heard my fair share of indecent material."

After a moment's pause, Crixus began his tale, phrasing it as politely as possible.

"Our Domina required that I lie with her. Naevia would collect me for these visits, walking me to and from her bed chamber. That is how we met. I fell for her without any hesitation. I wooed her, but she would not have me at first. It took many months of convincing. But she loves me, and I her. I would marry her if only I could secure her freedom."

"How do I know you are not some owner of a brothel coming to collect a new girl? Do you have any proof of your story?"

Crixus immediately removed his hand from his sword and pulled the necklace from his robes to give it to him.

"Show this to her. She will recognize it."

"Did you steal this for her?"

"A gladiator would never belittle himself by stealing! I purchased it with my winnings. The only reason she did not have it upon her arrival was because she could not wear it before, so she did not accept it. I brought it for her in hopes that the situation might be different now."

"Very well," Adriel said as he left the room. "Wait here while I collect Naevia."

* * *

Naevia was awakened by her master before the time the bell would normally ring. He signaled for her to come into the hallway, so arose and she followed him.

"There is a man here who has come to purchase you," Adriel explained. "He told me you would recognize this," he said while handing her the necklace.

Her eyes widened at the sight of it, and her heart began to race. How could she ever forget it?

After a moment, she fully understood her master's words. He was truly here!

"Where is he?" she asked with urgency.

"In my office, he just arrived…" he could not finish his sentence before Naevia ran off to the stairs, leaving Adriel to hobble after her.

She flew down the stairs and into the office. Her heart fluttered at the sight of him. She ran to him, and embraced him with all her might. He did the same in return. At that moment, all doubts she had had the night before left her. They were finally reunited, and she would never let him go again-even if that meant they would be forever chased by the Romans.

She wanted so badly to kiss him, but she knew her Dominus was only a few steps behind her. Furthermore, he had expressly given orders that she was not to consort with any men until further notice, something that she had yet to receive.

"Naevia," she heard from behind her. "A bit of modesty would have been more appropriate," Adriel chastised her.

"Forgive me, Dominus," she said stepped out of Crixus' arms, but remained just a few inches away.

"Well, it is a comfort to know you are who you say you are."

"What would you have for her?" Crixus demanded.

"She is not for sale. My situation has not changed since our first conversation. I need her to continue working in the shop."

Her heart began pounding even faster as the conversation began. She wanted nothing more than to be with Crixus, but she also greatly enjoyed her new home. Having him come so far to be turned away now would be a fate worse than death.

"I will triple whatever you paid for her," Crixus argued.

"It is not a question of money."

"Surely we can come to some arrangement," Crixus countered.

"I will strike a deal with you. You are presently wanted by the authorities in connection with the death of your Dominus. They will be looking escaped gladiators, but I can offer you protection."

"To what end?" Crixus questioned.

"I would see you become my nephew. I have no children, and I will need someone to assume ownership of the store and the shop when I pass."

"What will become of Naevia?"

"If you truly meant what you said earlier, I will give my consent for you to marry her."

Naevia blushed at this. She and Crixus had never before discussed marriage. To add this to the rest of the news she was receiving nearly made her melt.

"Even after knowing her for only a short time, it is clear that she would make a fine Domina. She will take on the responsibilities as the female head of this house. From what I understand of her position with Quintus, she already knows everything that must be attended to."

Naevia was surprised and honored by his words, but was such a thing truly possible? She supposed that with the right amount of leverage, anything was possible. There was one glaring issue that could prevent her from assuming her new role.

"Dominus, my dress with surely give me away," Naevia said quietly.

"I will purchase new clothes," Crixus told her. She smiled in return. He seemed to have greatly improved his sense about women during the time they had been separated.

"Perfect. The only ones who know of your present station are the girls and a few townspeople. All of them can be easily persuaded to keep quiet, so you will begin your new responsibilities as soon as you have the appropriate gowns. When I pass, you both will inherit my estate."

"How can I be certain you will keep your word?" Crixus said.

"He is trustworthy," Naevia said in a tone that he could not argue with.

With that, Adriel decided to turn their minds to the present.

"Very well. Now, we must awaken the girls for the day. Crixus, you are officially my nephew who has come to live with me and learn the trade. Naevia, inform the girls that if they speak to anyone about this arrangement, they will face severe punishment. Be sure this reaches Elaina. Oh, and Naevia, you are permitted to touch him. He is your betrothed," he said as he left the room ensuring their privacy.

They needed no further words of encouragement.

* * *

Crixus practically jumped on her, assaulting her mouth. He missed the feel of her lips. He missed the feel of her skin. It was so soft, and so perfect. It set him ablaze.

"These past two weeks have been a torment," he told her.

"Then do not think of them. We are together now, and we will be for many years to come."

"Who could ever have imagined that my prayers would have been answered so thoroughly?"

"It is truly a gift."

Speaking of gifts, Crixus remembered the necklace which Naevia held it in her hand. But he took it from her so he could clasp it around her neck.

"Now everything is in its rightful place," Crixus said and he bent to kiss her yet again.

He would have kissed her longer, but she mentioned Dominus would return soon and she needed to get to work. He would not have let her go again if it were not for the knowledge she was just upstairs, as she should have been for the past two weeks.

Just a moment after she departed, Adriel returned and he began learning about the shop and the merchandise. Being a weaver was much more complex than Crixus imagined. There were so many types of fabric, and getting the fabric to appear just right was a task he was sure he would never be able to accomplish, so he was grateful for the knowledge that the girls could help. Furthermore, bartering with clients was truly beyond him. Crixus was comforted by Adriel's guidance.

He was pleased to have years to learn everything, and that Naevia would be there every day supporting him, and every night helping him prepare for the coming sun. He could hardly wait.

When the day was done, Crixus asked where he was to sleep.

"There is an open room for you two upstairs. You are to be married, so you should being acting as such."

"What are the marriage customs here?" Crixus asked.

"They involve a small ceremony. We will discuss it tomorrow. I'm sure you wish to be with her."

With a nod, Adriel led Crixus upstairs and showed him to his room. Naevia was already inside, arranging things to her liking. Adriel left soon afterwards, leaving them to each other. It took only seconds before they were wrapped in each other's arms again.

The first night back had been significantly more passionate than all the other chaste moments that preceded them. This time, Crixus was permitted to take his time with her. He warmed her up slowly, and then made sure she received the best treatment he could muster. He needed to express to her how much he missed her.

He had her multiple times that night, as he planned to do for the rest of his life. In the moments between their activities, Crixus told Naevia of the raid at the villa and Spartacus' aid in finding her. She suggested they should do something for him in return, but there they could think of no way to find him. Perhaps he would return unannounced one day.

Naevia also told Crixus about her time here. She informed him about Adriel's kindness, the other girls, and her trips to town. She also told him about Elaina removing her hair after he remarked he mistook her at first glance.. She was pleased when he remarked that he liked it.

They also spoke of the future, beginning with their marriage.

"What are the marriage customs of your people?" Naevia asked him.

"I do not know. I was separated from them before I witnessed a single marriage."

"Perhaps we should perform a local ceremony."

"That would be best. When would you like to hold this ceremony?"

"As soon as possible," she responded. "We should ask Dominus about available opportunities in the morning."

"He is no longer your Dominus."

"It is strange to be without a Dominus."

"You will become accustomed to it in time."

"To think I will be a Domina one day, it is truly remarkable. I have never heard of anyone elevating their station in such a way."

"Perhaps it is just that all good stories are kept hidden."

"Do you suppose our story will have such a fate?"

"It would be safest."

"I will still tell our children."

"As you wish, my love," he said with a smile.

They let a quiet moment pass between them before Naevia was unable to contain herself any longer.

"Thank you for finding me. Living without you was a truly unimaginable concept."

"Thank you for accepting me as your husband."

"I would not have accepted anyone else. You are my heart," she told him, referencing their hidden moment from the lootus.

"I will never doubt the beating of it again," he finished.

**AN: I hope you all enjoyed it. Please review!**


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